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No country is more important to the development of modern sports than England. Many sports have English origins (rugby footbal, soccer, cricket, and hockey). These sports were spread around the world because of the importance of the British Empire so that now England often looses international competitions to its former colonies. Cricket is very popular in South Asia and the Caribbean, Rugby is very popular in New Zealand and Fiji. Cricket may well be the most destinctively English sport. The leisuely way in which a match is played make in more of an event than a game. as in most of Europe, however, it is football soccer that has captured the imagination of English boys. Unlike America, girls do not seem nearly as captivatd by it. Rugby is much less widely played. Social class has had a major impact on sport in Britain. Football was one seen as a working class sport. ome public (exclusive private) schools once banned football in favor of rugby.
No country is more important to the development of modern sports than England. Many sports have English origins (rugby footbal, soccer, cricket, and hockey). A factor here was the importance of boys' boarding schools in England. These sports were spread around the world because of the importance of the British Empire so that now England often looses international competitions to its former colonies.
Sports are very popular in England. Many major team sports around the world originated in Britain, eother directly or indirectly (like American baseball and football). We are developing infornation on specific sports in England. The preiminent sport in England as in most of the world is football (soccer). Yopu see kids all over England playing football in the streets and parks. Not other sport approaches football in popularity. There are in addition to football many other sports that are played. Each of the sports have their own interesting history and social trends. English sports are much more gender specufic than is the case in America.
Bowls is asport played throughout Europe and Latin America. There are different names and various rules in differet countries. In Enlamd it is played on grass or nowadays artifical turf. And thus is known as lawn bowls. The objective is to roll biased balls so that they touch or stop close to a smaller ball called a 'jack' or 'kitty'. It is played on a bowling green which may be flat (flat-green bowls) or convex or uneven (crown green bowls). It is normally played outdoors, although there are indoor venue. The game has a long history. There are documented mention of the sport dating back to the middle ages begining with stones (13th century). his prbably means that ithas even earlier origins. We see clunbs playing bowls with men and women playing in whites. Bowls is mostly played by older adults in teams, but we see some boys probably mascots are helping the older participants in various ways.
Cricket is also very popular in South Asia and the Caribbean. Cricket may well be the most destinctively English sport. The leisuely way in which a match is played make in more of an event than a game. Cricket
is played in state schools but for many years has really only been a major
sport in independent schools where it is the main Summer game for boys.
As in most of Europe, however, it is football soccer that has captured the imagination of English boys. Unlike America, girls do not seem nearly as captivatd by it. An English reader writes, "Football (with anything which could be kicked and any surplus top as goal
posts), rugby practice or cricket would also get played during breaks as
'scratch' matches or just practices. Even when at school where football was
not playedwe would usually find a ball to kick about. Others would spend
their breaks chatting with friends."
A sport which does very badly in the UK is Gymnastics,
especially boys gymnastics as few schools are equipped to provide for it and
training beyond the initial levels tends to be done more at local club
level.
Hockey is also a popular game, again at school. Iin many independent schools for both boys and girls hockey is a school game.
Rounders is a sport with some similarity to baseball, in fact earky references to the gane used the term "baseball". Rounders became more common as baseball emerged as a major sport in America. The games appears to date back several centuries amd like many other teamsports, originated in England. Written references aee more modern. As in baseball, two teams take turns fielding and batting. The official ball is leather, but schools use a variety of balls depending on the field and age if the players. A small, short bat is used and swing with one hand. No gloves are used by the fielders. Home plate is called fouth base. It is sometimes played as a competitive sport by the girls. It is also used as a game activity for the younger children played during morning break, physical education (gym) or afternoon games. It was a sport that could be used for mixed groups. The skill sets are not as demanding as cricket whuch many of the younger boys have trouble with. In that sence it is used rather like kickball is used in American primary schools. The children have a good time with it and is a popular choice for a game activity. An American reader writes, "I had some friends in Nottingham whose kids played rounders at school . I taught one of them to play baseball when they were visiting the States and we played it at the local Rec. ground in Nottingham when I visited there. We got some strange looks from the kids playing cricket though when we hit the ball into their field."
Rugby is also very popular in New Zealand and Fiji. Rugby is less widely played. Social class has had a major impact on sport in Britain. Football was one seen as a working class sport. Some public (exclusive private) schools once banned football in favor of rugby. A British reader writes, "Rugby is VERY widely played. Not as popular as football but by no means a lesser sport. In some areas it is THE sport with football taking the lesser role. Schools play both Union and League rules but that depends upon where they are located. Many independent schools only play rugby (sometimes referred to as 'rugger') and only have football as a minor game." From my experience in Britain, rugby is very widely played at schools. Many schools (especially private schools) in fact give greater emphasis to rugby than football. But whith kids at home the passion is football. If you see kids playing on the street or in parks, it is normally around football they are kicking.
England seems to be where sea bathing first becme popular in the modern age. The bathing costumes that developed seem to have been relatively standard throughout Europe and America. We note many striped outfits. The stripes seem to have represented a sailor (sea) influence. We think this convention began in England, but we are not entirely sure. Boys and men wore the same outfits. They generally had calf length pants. The shirts and pants matched which is presumably why they werw called bathing suits. After the turn-of-the 20th century we begin to see above the knee pants and eventually shorts. After World War I the shorts were generally worn with some type of coordinated top. A British reader tells us that the bathing trunks wuith tops were no longer worn in Europe by the 1940s and was surprised to find that they were still required in some places in America. After World War II we see boys wearing two kinds of bathing suits or trunks. There were boxer-style trunks. The brief styles seems to have been more popular. This varied from America where the boxer style emerged as the most popular. An English reader remembers wearing this style of swim suit.
Sports are important at most English sports. This is especially true at private (independent) schools which have a long tradition of sports. In fact manyb important schools were virtually invented at British schools. Although not stuck to rigidly the three terms usually equate to the main playing seasons. Nearly all schools would have had football or similar teams from at least the post-World War II period. An English reader writes, "I know my father and his brothers played in school teams during the 1940s. I suspect such inter-school matches would date back much further, especially so re the public schools who have fought it out on the playing fields for hundreds of years." Btitish schools do not tend to have the same arenas for scholastic sports that American schools have, but there is more of a tradition of participation associated with British school sports.
England seems to be where sea bathing first becme popular in the modern age. The bathing costumes that developed seem to have been relatively standard throughout Europe and America. We note many striped outfits. The stripes seem to have represented a sailor (sea) influence. We think this convention began in England, but we are not entirely sure. Boys and men wore the same outfits. They generally had calf length pants. The shirts and pants matched which is presumably why they werw called bathing suits. After the turn-of-the 20th century we begin to see above the knee pants and eventually shorts. After World War I the shorts were generally worn with some type of coordinated top. A British reader tells us that the bathing trunks wuith tops were no longer worn in Europe by the 1940s and was surprised to find that they were still required in some places in America. After World War II we see boys wearing two kinds of bathing suits or trunks. There were boxer-style trunks. The brief styles seems to have been more popular. This varied from America where the boxer style emerged as the most popular. An English reader remembers wearing this style of swim suit.
A reader asks, "Would you say that you observed soccer or cricket being played more by the kids?" Sports has a bit of a social class twist in Britain. Nationally soccer (football) is the preminent national sport. It is what lids all over the country play for fun. Rugby and cricket are more traditional sports played at school or in the case of cricket at clubs. At school the games are seasonal, rugby in the fall and cricket in the summer. This is the case at the private schools (prep and public). The winter term is more varied, it could be soccer or hockey. Hockey has declined in recent years and soccer grown in popularity. At some schools until the 60s, soccer was not allowed, being considered a working class sport. In the state schools inter-scholastic sports are not as common as in the private schools and here in America.
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